Shirt and collar protector



July 11, 1944. s: LIGHTER 2,353,344

SHIRT AND COLLAR.PROTECTOR Filed Oct. 25, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 y 4- s. LIGHTER 2,353,344

SHIRT AND COLLAR PROTECTOR Filed Oct. 25 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY/5'.

Patented July 11, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 5 Claims.

My prcsemt invention relates; general to improvements m the art of protecting laundered shirts: or the like, and relates more specifically to animp-roved assemblage for supporting and the: collars of shirts or similar garments against possible collapse or undesirable crushing and'resultant wrinkling.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a new and useiul shirt and collar protector which is siinplein construction and highly efficientin, use.

In my prior Patent No. 2,223,350, granted May 27, 1941, I. and described a protective wrapper and retainer for maintaining a laundered shirt irrneatly folded condition and in proper shape, by utilizing a shirt embracing band surrounding the folded: shirt and; having a panel and side tales associated, therewith and extending upwardly from the central portion of the front section of the band, this panel and tabs being cooperable with the forward part of the exterior of the collar band andv with the inner surface of the collar lapels so as toeliminate danger of collapse and possible crushing of the collar. While this earlier patented structure was relatively satisfiactory, it lacked means for positively holding the collar supporting panel and tabs in snug engagement with the collar band and lapels, and in my subseouentleatent No. 2,327,196, granted August 17, "1943 I prouided-instnmientalities for automatically and. positively maintaining the collar supporting panel and tabs in elevated position so as to more thoroughly and eii ectively protect the collar assemblage. In these prior patents I also revealedmeans inv the form of an elongated plate I? connected medially with the upper end of the protective. panel and foldable within the collar band for protecting and supporting the interior of this band, and while such an internal supporting plate cooperating with a panel confined between the exterior of the collar band and collar la'pels has heretofore been used extensively, the prior assemblages of this type did not make adequate provision for maintaining the inner supporting plate in snug engagement with the collar band so as'to provide maximum support for the latter.

It is therefore a more specific object of my present invention to provide an improved shirt collar protector and support of the type having an inner collar band engaging plate connected to an outer collar band engaging panel confined beneath the collar l apels, and wherein the inner plate is automatically forced into snug coaction with the interior of the collar band when the protective supporting assemblage is applied toa laundered shirt and collar.

Another specific object of this invention is to provide improvements especially applicable to my two prior patented shirt and collar protectors above identified, whereby the operation of such devices is considerably improved at no additional cost.

A further specific object of the invention is to provide an improved shirt wrapper and protector which can be manufactured of stiff paper with minimum waste'of stock, and which is also readily and conveniently applicabletoa folded and laundered shirt or the like; to maintain the same in neatlyfolded condition and protected against undesirable crushing and wrinkling.

Still another specific obieet of my invention is to provide a new and useful shirt collar protector which may be formed of a single blank of cardboard or the like, and which functions to auto matically and most effectively support and protect the shirt when the protector is assembled upon the collar. i a

An additional specific object oi"- the present invention is to provide a shirt and. collar protecting. and supporting assemblage which is highly attractive in appearance, effective in use, and which can also be manufactured and sold at moderate cost.

These and other objects of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description.

A clear conception of the features constituting the present invention, and of the mode of constructing and of applying the improved shirt and collar protectors, may be had by'referring to the drawings accompanying andforming a part of this specification wherein like reference characters designate the same or similar parts in the various views.

Fig. 1 is a plan view of one of the improved shirt and collar protectors, before being applied to'a shirt;

Fig. 2 is a plan view ofa typical folded shirt Fig. 4 is a plan View of a modified improved shirt and collar protector, in flat condition and before being applied to a shirt;

Fig. 5 is aplan view of another typical folded shirt having the folding board still disposed therein, and showing the modified type of protector of Fig. 4 superimposed upon the shirt preparatory to final application of the protector; and

Fig. 6 is another perspective view of a finally protected folded shirt, with the protector of Figs, 4 and 5 applied thereto.

While the invention has been shown and described herein as being formed of stiff material such as cardboard stock and especially adapted to cooperate with folded shirts of a particular style, it is not my desire or intention to thereby unnecessarily restrict the scope or utility of the improvement.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive of the draw-'- ings, the improved shirt wrapper and protector disclosed therein is primarily cooperable with a freshly laundered shirt 9 which has been neatly folded about a flat folding board I and is provided with a collar consisting of an inner band I I and an outer portion I2 foldably connected to the upper edge of the band and having front Wings or lapels I3 extending toward the bosom of the shirt 9. The, improved protector specifioally shown in Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive, comprises in general a laterally elongated retainer I4 formed to extend transversely across the bosom I5 of the folded shirt 9'below the twopart collar; a relatively narrow panel I6 projecting upwardly from the-center of the upper front'section I1 of the retainer I4; a pair of supports I8 connected to and forming an integral part of the panel I6 and extending laterally away from the opposite sides of this panel, each of these supports I8 having its end I9 fartheset from the panel I6 recessed for interlocking coaction withnotched portions 20 formed directly on the retainer I l so as to maintain the panel I6 in elevated condition relative to the plane of the shirt bosom I5; a transverse plate 2| swingably connected at its medial portion to the upper end of the central panel l6 and being foldable within the collarband II; and a pair of hook elements or wings 22 formed integral with the upper portion of the panel 56 and being formed for interlocking coaction with notches 23 formed on the medial portion of the transverse plate 2|.

The improved shirt and collar protector of Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive may be formed of a single sheet of carboard or the like, and is constructed as a band adapted to'snugly embrace a shirt 9 with the opposite ends of the retainer I4 interlocked at the back of the shirt as in Fig. 3. The central panel I5 is slightly tapered as shown and is connected with the retainer l4 along a score line 24 so as to permit the panel to be elevated and to engage the upwardly inclined outer front surface of the collar band The lapel engaging supports I8 which extend laterally away 'cessed end portions IQ of the supports l8 are fonmed to interlock with the notches of the inwardly extending resilient portions 20 of the retainer I4, so as tohold' the panel I6 in elevated position and the supports I8 against the inner or rear surface of the lapels I3 when the protector is finally assembled upon the shirt.

The collar band engaging plate 2| is formed integral with the upper extremity of the panel I6 and is adapted to be folded within the collar band II as shown in Fig. 3, and the hook elements on wings 22 are'cut out of the body of the transverse plate 2| and are of such form that they produce the central notches 23 in this plate. There need be no definite score lines between the plate 2| and the panel l6, nor between the wings 22 and the anel I6, and when the panel I6 has been erected in easel formation with respect to the central portion I! of the retainer I l, and the plate 2| is swung into the collar band II, the hooks on the wings 22 will automatically engage the recesses 23 and will force the plate 2| into snug engagement with the upstanding inner surfaces of the collar band Ii, as clearly shown in Fig. 3. Since the engagemerit of the outer ends 9 with the notches 20 and the engagement of the hooks formed by the wings 22 with the notches 23 is automatic, the improved shirt and collar protector can obviously be quickly applied to a shirt 9 with minimum effort.

In some cases it may be unnecessary to provide a shirt embracing retainer I4 such as shown in Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive, and in that event the lower portion of the retainer I4 may be omitted. Such a modified structure is depicted in Figs. 4 to 6 inclusive, and in the modified assemblage the panel 26 is provided with lateral extensions 2'! which are adapted to be interposed between the collar band II and the outer collar portion I2. The upper end of the .panel 26 is again integrally connected to a transverse plate 2| and is provided with clamping wings 22 adapted to engage the notches 23'formed on the plate 2|. When assembling this modified structure upon a shirt 9, the panel'26 should be moved upwardly with the lateral extensions ZIthereof passing beneath the collar lapels I3, as illustrated in Fig. 5. When the panel 26 and lateral extensions 2'! have been disposed beneath the outer collar portion I2 and the inner collar band II as in Fig. 6, the plate 2| may again be swung into the interior of the collar band II and the hook portions of the wings 22 will likewise engage the notches 23 and will clamp the projecting opposite end portions of the plate 2| into snug engagement with the inner forward portions of th collar band II. This hooking and retaining action takes place automatically as the plate 2| is swung within the collar band II, and this modified collar protector can therefore be quickly and conveniently applied to a shirt 9.

From the foregoing detailed description it will be apparent that my present invention provides an improved shirt and collar protector which is extremely simple in construction and highly efficient in use. The improved device besides maintaining the outer collar and the collar lapels in neat condition, also prevents the collar from being readily collapsed by virtue of the fact that the inner plate 2| is held firmly into snug engagement with the inner surface of the collar band II. The collarband is in fact clamped between a rigid easel and the plate 2|, thus providing an extremely sturdy support. The improved device can be quickly and conveniently applied to a shirt teotors can obviously be manufactured at moder-' ate cost, and may be provided with suitable advertising and instructional printing or other decoration. The improved assemblage has proven highly satisfactory in actual use, and is especially applicable to shirt and collar protectors of the types covered by my prior patents hereinabove referred to.

It should be understood that it is not desired to limit this invention to the exact details of construction or to the precise mode of use, herein shown and described, for various modifications within the scope of the appended claims may occur to persons skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. A shirt collar protector comprising, a panel formed for coaction with the outer front portion of the collar band of a folded shirt beneath the outer collar and collar lapels, a collar 'band supporting plate swingably connected at its medial portion to the upper central portion of said panel, and a pair of hook elements formed integral with and disposed on opposite sides of the medial connection between said panel and plate, said elements being directl engageable with adjacent portions of said plate to clamp the latter against the interior of the collar band.

2. A protector as per claim 1, characterized thereby, that the hook elements are rearwardly bendable and resiliently cooperabl with adjacent relatively inclined portions of the plate to automatically clamp the plate against the interior of the collar band of the shirt when the plate is swung toward the panel and against the interior of the collar band.

3. A protector as per claim 1, characterized thereby, that the hook elements are resiliently connected to and extend laterally away from the connection at the upper part of the panel, and that the medial portion of the plate is provided with lateral notches with which the hook elements are interlockable when the hook elements are bent rearwardly during assembly.

4. A protector as per claim 1, characterized thereby, that the panel and the plate and the hook elements are all formed of a single sheet of stock, and that the hook elements are derived from the body of the plate so as to produce the interlocking notches.

5. A protector as per claim 1, characterized thereby, that the hook elements of the assembled structure extend rearwardly across the upper ends of the outer panel and of the inner supporting plate and coact therewith to provide a rigid tripod for maintaining the shirt collar in shape.

STEPHEN LIGHTER. 

